Jacquard pattern controller structure

ABSTRACT

A substantially cylindrical drum-shaped holder has axially extending grooves cut therein. The holder is capped off by a cover which has a resilient insert therein, so that pattern jacks can be individually inserted into the grooves, and snapped in place by pressure against the resilient insert, with the cover remaining on the cylindrical holder.

United States Patent 91 Kiihn 1 Jan. 23, 1973 [$4] JACQUARD PATTERN CONTROLLER 3,667,253 6/1972 Bourgeois ..66/50 B STRUCTURE 1,722,989 8/1929 Ames ..66/50 B [75] Inventor: Falk Kiihn, Kiebingen, Germany Primary Examiner konald Feldbaum [73] Assignee: Fouquct-Werk Frouz & Planck, Rotn y-F ynn & sh

tenburg am Neckar, Germany [22] Filed: Oct. 21,1971

Appl. No.: 191,179

[57] ABSTRACT A substantially cylindrical drum-shaped holder has axially extending grooves cut therein. The holder is capped off by a cover which has a resilient insert therein, so that pattern jacks can be individually inserted into the grooves, and snapped in place by pressure against the resilient insert, with the cover remaining on the cylindrical holder.

6 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure UUU JACQUARD PATTERN CONTROLLER STRUCTURE The present arrangement relates to a Jacquard pattern controller structure for textile machinery, and more particularly for knitting machines of the circular knitting machine type, and which is so arranged that individual selector jacks can easily be removed and replaced or re-inserted into the pattern holder. The invention will be described in general, as applied to a Jacquard pattern selector drum of the type used in circular knitting machines; to control the cylinder or dial needles of the machine.

The selector jacks which are inserted in selector drums in Jacquard-type circular knitting machines usually are inserted into a cylindrical body, which has grooves cut therein. The selector jacks are clamped into the grooves in radial, as well as in longitudinal direction, so that the selector jacks are positively seated in the pattern holder, and aligned both with respect to circumferential position, circumferential projection, as well as with longitudinal, that is axial relation to the Jacquard holder or drum. When the pattern is to be changed, so that other selector jacks are to be inserted, it has been customary to remove the cover of the Jacquard selector drum which, usually, is secured by screws. Removing the holding cover frees all of the selector jacks in a specific selector drum and it is sometimes difficult to replace only a single jack, if this is desired due to minor change in pattern, or to replace a defective jack. If the cover screws are tightened too much upon replacing the cover, it may happen that the selector jacks are loaded at their ends causing deformation thereof. Such deformation interferes with proper operation of the associated knitting machine, and particularly with pattern selection, and engagement of the selector jacks with the respective selection cylinder or selection slides.

in accordance with a proposed construction for the selector jack holder, selector holder drums are provided at their lower end with a circular groove into which the jacks are inserted, so that they are securely held against axial shifting movement. The selector jacks are held together radially by a circular spring which is inserted, after placing of all the jacks, in a suitably arranged groove cut into the selector jacks and continued along the circumference of the jack holder or drum. Placing selector jacks into such an arrangement requires accurate manufacture of the selector jack drum, permitting hardly any tolerance at all. If the selector jacks are not accurate as to length, or slightly deviate from nominal dimensions, vibrations may arise which interfere with proper operation of the selection mechanism, and cooperation of the selector jacks .with the remainder of the machine, and particularly during pattern selection.

Most of the known selector jack holders, or drums, require special tools to permit them to be opened, for replacement of selected selector jacks.

it is an object of the present invention to provide a selector jack holder in which individual selector jacks can readily be replaced, which is simple in construction, does not require high degrees of manufacturing accuracy, and in which the individual selector jacks are readily insertable and replaceable without the use of special tools.

SUBJECT MATTER OF THE PRESENT INVENTION Briefly, the lower end of the drum is shaped to accept a selector jack, the upper end of the drum being closed off by a cover which has a resiliently, yieldable, deformable insert therein, against which the selector jacks can be located, to be then snapped into position, the jacks pressing during the snapping-in against the yieldable, deformable material, which is deformed briefly during this step, and then reverts to its normal size, to securely hold the selector jacks in proper position. in a preferred form, the yieldable insert is an elastomer, such as plastic or the like or, in a simple form merely a rubber O-ring.

The arrangement according to the present invention accepts selector jacks which may be slightly outsiz'e, and the yieldable ring compensates for excessive tolerances. Individual selector jacks can be inserted by hand, and without any special tools and still they will seat positively, even if the specific selector jack is offsize. To prevent axial deformation, a spacer ring can be inserted between the cover in which the elastomer ring is inserted and the actual end face of the Jacquard selector jack holder, or drum, so that even selector jacks which are excessively long and oversize can be accepted without deformation; the yieldable, deformable insert will hold these selector jacks, as well as some which are somewhat shorter, in positively seated engagement in the drum holder. The spacer can be an integral part of the cover in which the elastomer is inserted.

The invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the single FIGURE is a schematic, partly sectional longitudinal view through a circular selector jack holder drum.

The holder drum is connected to a gear or other transport wheel 1, which switches or indexes the position of the drum in synchronism with the rotation of the knitting machine with which it is to be associated, and as determined by the pattern to be knitted. Gear 1 is secured to a body 3 which is formed with a number of axially extending, longitudinal grooves 4 into which selector jacks 5 are inserted. The bottom of the drum assembly, formed of body 3 and gear 1, is formed with a hook-like end, in order to engage over a re-entrant notch 2 formed in the bottom of the selector jacks, so that the longitudinal alignment of the selector jacks at the bottom end of the drum is positively given while, at the same time, the selector jacks 5 are prevented from moving outwardly at their lower end.

The top of the selector jack drum assembly formed of ring 1 and body 3 is close off by a cover 6 which has an elastic insert 8 located therein, for example in the form of a rubber O-ring. The insert 8 is located therein in such a manner that it can yield, but cannot fall out, for example by being placed in a very shallow groove. The cover 6 is spaced from the axial end of the drum assembly by means of a spacer 10, which can be unitary with the cover; the O-ring 8 is located behind a projecting overhang of the cover which may be integral, as shown or, with smaller covers already available, may be added as a separate sleeve.

The selector jack drum structure is filled with selector jacks directly by hand, and no tools are needed or required. First, the tip 9 of a selector jack is slipped under the cover, and behind the O-ring, and then the selector jack is tilted inwardly, pressing against the O- ring to yieldingly deform the O-ring, until the holding stop 2 at the bottom, with its notch, slips over the inclined projection formed on the bottom of the drumgear assembly (see the FIGURE). The selector jack is then securely pressed downwardly, in the direction of the indexing wheel or gear, and the selector jack is completely and positively seated, the notch at the bottom of the selector jack seating on the projection of the lower part of the selector jack assembly, and the top being yieldingly and securely held by the O-ring. Small differences in length of the selector jacks are compensated by the O-ring; the yielding O-ring also permits omission of selector jacks from the drum, without loss of tightness of seating; it is possible to use only a single selector jack in a drum of the illustrated construction, without loss of reliable and positive seating of the single selector jack, and without additional tightening arrangements being necessary.

Selector jacks can be independently and individually changed without removing the drum from the machine, or without disassembling the drum in any way which would additionally cause loss of reliable location and placement of other selector jacks already in the drum, and not desired to be replaced. Thus, if a single selector jack is to be replaced, for example due to erroneous clipping of a selector butt, the remaining selector jacks can be left undisturbed, which, in knitting operations, is a substantial savings in time for operating personnel.

The present invention has been described specifically in connection with rotating selector drums par ticularly adapted for circular knitting machines. Various changes and modifications may be made within the inventive concept to adapt the invention to other uses, or apparatus.

lclaim:

l. Jacquard pattern controller structure Jacquard-type textile machines comprising an elongated substantially drum-shaped holder;

axially extending grooves (4) formed in the surface of the holder;

selector jack holding means formed at the root of the grooves at one axial end of the holder, the grooves extending to the other axial end of the holder;

a cover member (6) for the holder located above the other axial end;

and an elastic, yieldable insert (8) in said cover member, located forward of the root of the grooves formed in the holder and extending circumferentially around the cover member to permit placing selected jacks individually in the grooves, tilting them against the yieldable insert during insertion, and locating the jacks in the jack holding means.

2. Structure according to claim 1, wherein the yieldable insert comprises an O-ring of elastic material.

3. Structure according to claim 1, including a spacer member (10) located between the cover member (6) and the axial end of the holder to space the cover member, and hence the yieldable insert axially from the ends of the grooves.

4. Structure according to claim 3, wherein the cover member (6) and the spacer member (10) are a unitary element.

5. Structure according to claim 1, wherein the cover member is formed with a projecting overhang, the yieldable member being located behind the overhang.

6. Structure according to claim 1, in combination with Jacquard selectorjacks (5), the selectorjacks having an axially extending terminal portion (9), said terminal portion bearing against and being retained by said yieldable insert.

for 

1. Jacquard pattern controller structure for Jacquard-type textile machines comprising an elongated substantially drum-shaped holder; axially extending grooves (4) formed in the surface of the holder; selector jack holding means formed at the root of the grooves at one axial end of the holder, the grooves extending to the other axial end of the holder; a cover member (6) for the holder located above the other axial end; and an elastic, yieldable insert (8) in said cover member, located forward of the root of the grooves formed in the holder and extending circumferentially around the cover member to permit placing selected jacks individually in the grooves, tilting them against the yieldable insert during insertion, and locating the jacks in the jack holding means.
 2. Structure according to claim 1, wherein the yieldable insert comprises an O-ring of elastic material.
 3. Structure according to claim 1, including a spacer member (10) located between the cover member (6) and the axial end of the holder to space the cover member, and hence the yieldable insert axially from the ends of the grooves.
 4. Structure according to claim 3, wherein the cover member (6) and the spacer member (10) are a unitary element.
 5. Structure according to claim 1, wherein the cover member is formed with a projecting overhang, the yieldable member being located behind the overhang.
 6. Structure according to claim 1, in combination with Jacquard selector jacks (5), the selector jacks having an axially extending terminal portion (9), said terminal portion bearing against and being retained by said yieldable insert. 